Towards morning the troops were formed in one line facing the enemy; the THIRTY-FIRST happened to be on the right of the whole. At the break of day, the British artillery opened on the enemy, who returned their fire, and after a short cannonading the infantry advanced to the attack: the THIRTY-FIRST moved steadily towards a battery of seven guns on the enemy’s extreme left, which kept up a continued fire of grape; it was, however, carried by the bayonet without a single check, and almost without a shot being fired by the assailants, though the loss of the THIRTY-FIRST was severe. Having killed all the enemy’s artillery-men who remained at their guns, the regiment, led by its brave commander, Major Spence, passed through the battery, and advanced steadily in an excellent line for about 300 yards, when it halted. The Governor-General and the Commander-in-Chief passed down the ranks amidst the cheers of the men; the line saluted them, dropping the regimental colours; and private William Ash, a grenadier, stood in front of his company displaying a colour taken from the enemy in the battery before mentioned. [Illustration: THIRTY-FIRST REGIMENT _From a sketch by Major G. F. White, 31^{st} Regiment_ BATTLE OF FEROZESHAH. (2^{ND} DAY) 22^{ND} DECEMBER, 1845. _Madeley lith. 3 Wellington S^t Strand._ _For Cannon’s Military Records_] The defeat of the enemy now appearing to be complete, the soldiers were allowed to go in search of water, the want of which was severely felt. In the course of half an hour the alarm was suddenly given, that the Sikhs were coming down in force; the troops were quickly placed in position, though there could be no regularity as regarded brigades, and on the near approach of the enemy’s horse, the THIRTY-FIRST formed square, the Governor-General and his Staff placing themselves in the centre: a terrific fire was now opened upon the devoted troops (whose artillery ammunition was expended) from the guns of Tej-Singh’s army advancing to the support of the already defeated Sikhs, and the tide of victory appeared about to turn, when Sir Henry Hardinge, glancing at the small but undismayed band around him, exclaimed “THIRTY-FIRST, remember _Albuhera_.” Line was, however, soon after re-formed, no decided attack being made by the enemy, who nevertheless kept up a galling and destructive fire from his guns. The THIRTY-FIRST suffered very considerably without the power of retaliation, but patiently maintained their position; at one time, when threatened by cavalry, forming an oblong square of four deep, one side of the square being composed of the twenty-ninth foot under Brigadier Taylor of that corps, the twenty-ninth forming four deep to the front, and the THIRTY-FIRST four deep to the rear, and in this position they remained for some time, ready to receive cavalry. The THIRTY-FIRST maintained their position upwards of three hours, when they were once more enabled to go in search of water by the